"The advice of the elders to young men is very apt to be as unreal as a list of the hundred best books"

In this quote, Oliver Wendell Holmes is suggesting that the recommendations provided by seniors to boys is typically not functional or appropriate to their lives. He is implying that the recommendations is frequently out-of-date and not relevant to the existing times. He is also recommending that the suggestions is often not based upon real-world experience, yet instead on a list of books that are taken into consideration to be the most effective. He is suggesting that the advice given by elders is often not based upon truth, but instead on a checklist of publications that are thought about to be the best. He is recommending that the advice given by senior citizens is commonly not sensible or applicable to the lives of young men. He is indicating that the suggestions is frequently obsolete as well as not relevant to the current times. He is recommending that the guidance offered by senior citizens is usually not based on real-world experience, but instead on a list of publications that are considered to be the most effective.